Sport Wall and Sport Wall System

ABSTRACT

An anchoring panel for a sport wall system with a front side facing an interior of the sport wall system, a back side, a flange extending from and rigidly fixed to the back side, a top side, a bottom side, and a first and second end wall is provided. Each of the first and second end walls include interlocking elements for interlocking with a first or second end of another panel in the sport wall system, the interlocking elements comprising at least a male knob extending towards the bottom side of the anchoring panel and configured to be insertable into a panel recess of the another panel in the sport wall system.

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/843,381, filed Aug. 22, 2007, the entire content of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to modular containment wall systems. Inparticular, the present invention relates to portable modular sportwalls for use in athletic activities.

BACKGROUND ND

Athletic containment walls such as skating rink walls are considered tobe dasherboards that are typically made of wood or fiberglass. As aresult, dasherboard panels can be heavy and difficult to transport,assemble and adjust. In addition, dasherboard systems are designed topermanently affix to the ground and do not have bracing options thatallow the dasherboards to be portable.

One reference, U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,030, issued Jan. 26, 1999, attemptsto address the issues described above by providing a containment wallsystem that includes an assembly of panels, each panel having a firstedge, an opposing second edge, and interlocking members configured andarranged for (1) interlocking the first edge to a first adjacent paneland (ii) interlocking the second edge to a second adjacent panel viacoupling means such as anchoring rods that anchor into ground surfaces.Support legs are rotatably disposed on a back wall of the panels. Eachsupport leg is removably attachable to at least three differentattachment sites at the back wall of a panel. The interlocking, modulardesign of the containment wall enables quick and easy assembly andreassembly, as well as modification to form doorways, sitting areas andsimilar component structures. In one embodiment, the rear side of thepanel includes a recess formed therein. During periods of nonuse, thesupport leg can be rotated into the recess in a storage position,permitting easy stacking and storage of the panels with the support legsneatly disposed in the rear recesses.

Problems associated with the above portable containment wall systems mayinvolve damage to the anchoring rods, such as bending or breakage,difficult dowel removal, and instability of support legs due to theirremovable and rotational disposition on the panel.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for providing a portableathletic containment wall system that is stable and easy to assemble andreassemble.

SUMMARY

Various embodiments of the invention address the issues described aboveby providing a modular sporting wall system for use in athleticactivities that is stable, easy to assemble and reassemble, and that canbe easily transported.

In one configuration, an anchoring panel for a sport wall systemincludes a front side facing an interior of the sport wall system; aback side, the front and back side comprising a length of about 18″ to108″ and a height of about 24″ to 48″; a top side and a bottom side, thefront side and back side arranged therebetween; a first and second endwall, the front side and back side arranged therebetween, where thefirst and second end wall and top and bottom side form the width of theanchoring panel and is about 2″ to 12″; at least twocylindrically-shaped male knobs arranged on the first end wall at anupper and lower portion of the anchoring panel via a flange extendingfrom the end wall, where the male knobs extend from a bottom of theflange toward the bottom side of the anchoring panel, where the maleknobs comprise a length of about 2″ to 5″ and a diameter of about 1″ to3½″; at least two end wall recesses arranged on the second end wall atan upper and lower portion of the anchoring panel, where each of the endwall recess is arranged in an end wall cutout and extends into the sportwall, the end wall recesses comprising a length of about 2″ to 5″ and adiameter of about 1″ to 4″; and a flange extending from and rigidlyfixed to the back side, the flange comprising a wedge-shape, where theflange height that is coupled to the back side is about 18″ to 44″ and awidth of about 4″ to 8″, the wedge-shape of the flange widening as theflange extends to the bottom side of the anchoring panel, where at thebottom of the anchoring panel the flange comprises a length of about 18″to 36″, where the flange comprises an opening and a hollow interiorcapable of receiving filling material.

In another embodiment, an anchoring panel for a sport wall systemincludes a front side facing an interior of the sport wall system; aback side; a top side and a bottom side, the front side and back sidearranged therebetween; a first and second end wall, the front side andback side arranged therebetween, where each of the first and second endwalls comprise interlocking elements for interlocking with a first orsecond end of another panel in the sport wall system, the interlockingelements comprising at least a male knob extending towards the bottomside of the anchoring panel and configured to be insertable into an endwall recess of the another panel in the sport wall system; and a flangeextending from and rigidly fixed to the back side, the flange comprisinga hollow interior capable of receiving filling material.

Another configuration is a sport wall system that includes a pluralityof panels for forming an enclosed sporting area, each of the pluralityof panels including a front side facing an interior of the enclosedsporting area; a back side; a top and bottom side, the front and backside arranged therebetween; first and second end walls, the front andback side arranged therebetween, where each of the first and second endwalls comprise interlocking elements for interlocking with another ofthe plurality of panels, the first or second end wall interlockingelements comprising at least a male knob extending towards the bottomside of the anchoring panel configured to be insertable into a panelrecess of the another first or second end of another of the plurality ofpanels, and the other end wall comprising a panel recess configured toaccommodate a male knob from another of the plurality of panels; one ormore flanges, each of the one or more flanges extending from and rigidlyfixed to the back side of one of the plurality of panels.

These and other features and advantages of aspects of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description, where it is shown and describedillustrative embodiments, including best modes contemplated for carryingout the invention. As it will be realized, the various aspects of theinvention are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, allwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded asillustrative in nature and not restrictive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of an 86′×200′ enclosed sport wall system.

FIG. 2A depicts a perspective view of a sport wall and anchoring panel.

FIG. 2B depicts a side view of a sport wall and anchoring panel.

FIG. 2C depicts a front view of a sport wall and anchoring panel.

FIG. 3A depicts a perspective view of a sport wall panel.

FIG. 3B depicts a side view of a sport wall panel.

FIG. 3C depicts a front view of a sport wall panel.

FIG. 4A depicts a front view of a sport wall panel for use with orwithout the sport wall and anchoring panel.

FIG. 4B depicts a rear view of the sport wall panel of FIG. 4A.

FIGS. 4C-F depict a top, first side, second side, and a bottom portion,respectively, of the sport wall panel depicted in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A depicts a front view of a curved sport wall panel for use withthe sport wall and anchoring panel.

FIG. 5B depicts a rear view of the curved sport wall panel of FIG. 5A.

FIGS. 5C-F depict a top, first side, second side, and a bottom portion,respectively, of the sport wall panel depicted in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A depicts a front view of a sport wall gate panel.

FIG. 6B depicts a rear view of the sport wall gate panel of FIG. 6A.

FIGS. 6C-F depict a top, first side, second side, and a bottom portion,respectively, of the sport wall panel depicted in FIG. 6A.

FIGS. 7A-B depict a front and back view of an assembled sport wallsystem.

FIG. 7C depicts the assembly of three sport wall panels.

FIG. 8 depicts a top view of a corner portion of a sport wall system.

FIGS. 9A-D depict a back perspective, front perspective, top, and afront view of a 30 degree corner sport wall panel.

FIGS. 10A-D depict a first side, second side, top and perspective viewof a 90 degree corner sport wall panel.

FIGS. 11A-B depict a first and perspective view of a female T-adapter.

FIGS. 11C-D depict a first and perspective view of a male T-adapter.

FIG. 12 depicts another perspective view of a sport wall and anchoringpanel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a sport wall and anenclosure system for use in athletic events such as hockey (inline andice), soccer and indoor football. It will be understood that varioussport walls described herein may be fabricated from high-strengthmaterials, such as polyethylene and composite plastics, using variousmanufacturing methods, including molding, e.g., rotational molding,injection molding, reaction injection molding, machining, pressing andpunching. The various aspects of the present invention are describedbelow with reference to the figures.

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of enclosed sport wall system 100 havingdimensions of 86′×200′, which implements the various types of sport wallpanels described herein. In FIG. 1, the enclosed sport wall systemincludes 2′ panels, 8′ panels, 94¼″ round panels having a 20′ radius,and 8′ gate panels. However, it should be understood that other sportwall panels may be used in addition or as an alternative to the sportwall panels depicted in the sport wall system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A provides a perspective view of an example sport wall andanchoring panel 200 for use in sport wall enclosure systems such asenclosed sport wall system 100, which includes: a front side 201, a backside 202, a top end 203, a bottom end 204, end walls 205, load bearingflange 210, fill opening 219 (not shown), fill opening cover 220, endwall recess 230, end wall cutout 235, male knob 240, protrusion 245,parallel top and bottom end recesses 250, and upper containment channel260.

In FIG. 2A, sport wall and anchoring panel 200 may have a length(L_(ASW)) of 24″, a width (W_(ASW)) of 8″, and a height (H_(ASW)) of42″. Other dimensions of the sport, wall and anchoring panel 200 arealso suitable according to the invention. For example, sport wall andanchoring panel 200 may have m length of up to 125″, a height rangingbetween 24-48″ tall, and a width ranging between 2-12″. Sport wall andanchoring panel 200 provides anchoring functionality along with theutility of a sport wall. As a result, when a user chooses to add sportwall and anchoring panel 200 to their sport wall enclosure system, theyare also adding length to the interior enclosed sport wall system.

As can be seen at the right end of the side profile in FIG. 2B, sportwall and anchoring panel 200 is relatively smooth on its front side 201.This allows an assembled sport wall enclosure system to have acontinuously smooth surface having only slight interruptions at theterminal ends of each panel. In some configurations, the front side 201may also include kick plate structures, bumped out from the front side.In further configurations, the front side 201 is treated with coatingsto provide various properties to the enclosure space. For example,providing a rubber-like coating may affect the bounce of a soccer ball.

The back side 202 of sport wall and anchoring panel 200 includesrecessed areas described below, along with flange 210 for providinganchoring and support to sport wall and anchoring panel 200 and to otherconnected sport wall panels.

The top side 203 of sport wall and anchoring panel 200 includes an uppercontainment channel 260, for example, that measures ⅝″ wide×1¾″ deep, inorder to accommodate chain-link fencing, netting and/or acrylic. Inaddition, a 2½″×5″ insert may be included at the top of sport wall andanchoring panel for customer identification.

The bottom side 204 of the sport wall and anchoring panel 200 may beconfigured with a planar surface or may include feet (not shown). In oneexample, feet may be adjustable to allow height adjustments when sportwall and anchoring panel rests 200 on uneven surfaces.

In addition, the end walls 205 of the sport wall and anchoring panel 200include interlocking elements including two end wall recesses 230 andtwo male knobs 240 for connecting to other sport wall panels. The twoend wall recesses 230 are arranged on the right side of sport wall andanchoring panel 200, one near the top and the other near the bottom.Each end wall recess 230 is arranged inside of an end wall cutout 235 asdepicted in FIGS. 2A-C and is cup-shaped. The shape of the end wallrecess 230 may be complementary to the shape of male knobs 240.

At the top of sport wall and anchoring panel 200, end wall cutout 235 isconfigured as a step, and near the bottom of sport wall and anchoringpanel 200, end wall cutout 235 is configured as a block-shaped cut-out.The block-shaped cutout 235 near the bottom is deep enough to acceptmale knob 240 and protrusion 245, and does not extend through the frontside of sport wall and anchoring panel 200.

Two peg-shaped male knobs 240, are included on an opposite side of sportwall and anchoring panel 200 from the positioning of end wall recesses230. Male knobs 240 each are provided on a wall protrusion 245. The topprotrusion 245 is configured like a continuous portion of the topsurface of sport wall and anchoring panel 200 with male knob 240extending from the bottom to face the bottom side of the sport wall andanchoring panel 200. The bottom protrusion 245 is configured like ablock extending from the end wall of sport wall and anchoring panel 200with male knob 240 extending from the bottom.

End wall recesses 230 on sport wall and anchoring panel 200 are arrangedsuch that male knobs 240 from a second sport wall panel are insertableinto the end wall recesses 230, and male knobs 240 on sport wall andanchoring panel 200 are each insertable into end wall recesses 230 froma third sport wall panel. For example, FIG. 7C depicts three separatedsport wall panels, pre-assembled, and FIGS. 7A-B depict a front and backview of the assembled sport wall panels in which male knobs are droppedinto end wall recesses. As a result, the configuration of end wallrecesses should be complementary to male knobs from other panels andvice versa.

According to some configurations, male knobs are between 2-5″ long, andend wall recesses are correspondingly between 2-5″ deep. The width ofmale knob 240 may be 2⅝″, or male knob 240 may be between 1″ and 3½″wide. The corresponding width of end wall recesses 230 may be sized toaccommodate the width of male knob 240. In FIGS. 2A-C, lower end wallcutout 235 is sized to accommodate the combination of a lower protrusionand male knob of a neighboring panel to allow for their horizontalinsertion into the end wall cutout 235 and for the vertical insertion ofa male knob into lower end wall recess 230.

Upon assembly, end wall recesses 230 and male knobs 240 interlockthereby preventing panels from detaching via a horizontal or lateralmovement, and secure and flexible connection is formed. That is, whenresting on slightly uneven surfaces, connected panels may self-adjustand follow the contours of the surface while remaining securelyconnected because slight height differences will not cause the panels toseparate, but rather the panels may be slightly raised/lowered due toslight changes in the ground elevation. In addition, when a non-linearconfiguration is desirable, panels may be connected and then adjusted sothat they are set at an angle relative to each other while maintainingtheir secure connection.

In particular arrangements, end wall recesses 230 and end wall cutouts235 are configured to correspond to a neighboring panel's male knobs 240and protrusions 245 when in a starting or assembly position, but notwhen in a rotated or adjusted position. Such an arrangement may allowsport wall panels to initially join, and then upon rotation, lock bothhorizontally and vertically. For example, end wall recess 230 may have akey hole shape and male knob may have a key shape so that once male knob240 is inserted into end wall recess 230 and the panel is rotated, theself-interlocking mechanism locks vertically and horizontally so thatthe panel may not be detached by being lifted vertically or horizontallyapart, and the panels may remain locked together until they are rotatedto their starting position.

Although end wall recess 230 is depicted as being cylindrical, end wallrecess 230 may be configured with a variety of shapes, e.g., oval,semi-cylindrical, square and/or pointed. Further, top and bottom endwall cutout 235 may also have alternative configurations depending onthe configuration of male knob 240 and protrusion 245, described below.Moreover, although male knobs 240 are depicted as being cylindrical andtapered, male knobs 240 may be configured with a variety of shapes,e.g., oval, semi-cylindrical, square and/or pointed.

In one configuration, knob 240 may be configured with a wide portion ata terminal end and a narrower portion at the connection point to thepanel. After knobs 240 are dropped into place in a corresponding panel,and the panels are adjoined, a c-shaped part (not shown) could be slidover the narrower portion of knob 240, and attach to the correspondingadjoining panel near its end wall recess 230, thus trapping the wideportion of knob 240 inside of end wall recess. The diameter of thec-shaped portion may be configured to closely match the narrower portionof the knob 240, so that when the panel is lifted, the locked-inc-shaped portion prevents the wider portion of the knob, situated belowthe c-shape portion, from moving past and detaching from thecorresponding panel. This configuration may be modified depending onwhether the knob 240 and end wall recess 235 are at the upper or lowerend of the panel.

In further configurations, fasteners may be formed on the sport wallpanels or may be positioned on or inserted into sport wall panels inorder to vertically and horizontally lock the sport wall panelstogether. For example, screws and complementary threading may beprovided in the knob and recess areas of the sport wall panels.

In FIGS. 2A-C, sport wall and anchoring panel 200 further includes asupport and anchoring flange 210. Flange is non-removably fixed to sportwall and anchoring panel and in use, rigidly fixed flange 210 rests onthe ground but is not anchored into the ground like anchoring rods, forexample. This provides advantages to an enclosed sport wall system whenit is used on asphalt or surfaces in which openings for anchoring rodscannot be easily formed.

According to various configurations, flange 210 is constructed with ahollow interior and solid top, bottom, end and side walls and may beprovided with one or more fill openings along a wall edge, along with afill opening cover 220, e.g., a cap, for covering a flange opening, suchas a 3.5″ Kelch® fill neck. In FIG. 2A, one fill opening is provided andmay be sealed by fill opening cover 220, while in FIG. 12, two fillopenings on sport wall and anchoring panel 200′ are provided and sealedby fill opening cover 220. The flange 210 with access to the hollowinterior may enable a user to easily transport and assemble the sportwall system with the hollow flange interior, and then fill the interiorof flange 210 with a filler material, e.g., fluids, gravel, sand, or anysuitable filler material. When the sport wall is to be moved, the fillopening cover 220 may be removed and flange 210 emptied to allow forease of movement and transport. Thus, providing a covering for theflange opening 219 (not shown), such as cap 220, enables the fillermaterial to be retained in the hollow interior of flange 210 for addedstabilization and anchoring. In addition, flange 210 may be providedwith a drain opening (not shown) to allow filler material to be easilydrained or removed from the hollow interior.

In certain implementations, the flange 210 and panel 200 may bemanufactured using rotational molding in which flange 210 is an integralpart of panel 200. In another example, flange 210 is formed separatelyfrom panel 200 and subsequently flange 210 permanently attached to panel200, e.g., by fasteners, physical coupling, melting or welding.

In FIGS. 2A-C, triangular or wedge-shaped flange 210 is permanentlyfixed to sport wall and anchoring panel 200 and has a height of between18″ to 48″, a length at its base of about 18″ to 36″ or approximately26″ and a width of between 4″ and 8″. The wedge shape of flange 210terminates near the top of sport wall and anchoring panel 200, and mayinclude an opening providing access to a hollow flange interior. Thehollow flange interior may be capable of holding a volume of between3000 and 6000 cubic inches of filler material, for example.

Although FIGS. 2A-C depict flange 210 as being wedge-shaped with itsbottom end arranged along the same plane as the bottom of sport wall andanchoring panel, flange 210 may be configured in a variety of shapeshaving a variety of sizes to provide support and anchoring for sportwall and anchoring panel 200 along with other sport wall panels. Forexample, flange 210 may have a square, cone, cylinder, semi-cylinder orpyramid shape, and may be capable of holding a volume of between 1000and 15,000 cubic inches of filler material.

Panel 200 further includes parallel top and bottom end recesses 250 foruse in anchoring panel 200 to ground surfaces. The top and bottom endrecesses may be separated by sport wall cutout 270. Rigid posts, e.g.,2½″ OD steel posts (not shown), may be slid through the top and bottomof the panel through the parallel top and bottom end recesses 250 ofpanel 200 and into the ground surface, to anchor panel 200 to theground.

Panel 200 may further be configured with additional anchoring mechanismssuch as anchor plates (not shown), which may be used with bolts, e.g.,⅝″ anchor bolts, so that panel 200 may be affixed into concretesurfaces.

In further embodiments, panel 200, like flange 210, may include a hollowinterior that may or may not be accessible. For example, a hollow sportwall and anchoring panel 200 may be airtight, e.g., where vent openingsare closed by spin welding polyethylene, may include ventilationopenings, or may include sealable openings allowing filler materials tobe deposited inside all or a portion of the hollow interior.

FIGS. 3A-C depict a sport wall panel 300 having similar dimensions tothe sport wall and anchoring panel 200, except that sport wall panel 300does not include a flange for anchoring and stabilizing the panel.According to some implementations, sport wall panel 300 is used alone orin combination with sport wall and anchoring panel 200. When used incombination, sport wall panel 300 is stabilized at least in part bysport wall and anchoring panel 200.

According to certain implementations, end wall recesses 230 and maleknobs 240 adjoin one or more sport wall panels 300 and/or one or moresport wall and anchoring panels 200. The adjustable nature of theconnection and the short length of each of the panels 200, 300 allowsthe panels to be interlocked and adjusted into an arc formation in orderto form a short radius corner. In one configuration, panels 200, 300 fitin an arc-like manner in a 90-degree corner so that the arc beginsbetween 28″ and 48″ from the corner's apex. In another configuration,each panel 200 or 300 may allow for a 30-degree angle relative toanother panel so that combining successive panels at 30-degree anglesallows for the creation of a 90-degree arc, a half circle, a completecircle, or an oval, for example. FIG. 8 depicts an example configurationof a number of panels 200/300 arranged along a corner. As can be seen,the two panels 200/300 are arranged at a 30-degree angle relative toeach other, and are arranged at a 30-degree angle relative to theirrespective flanking sport walls F. As a result, the combined panels forma rounded 90-degree arc. Where panels 200/300 are each 24″ in length,the arc formed from the combined panels may begin and end 32″ fromeither side of a corner's apex.

It will be understood that sport wall panels 200, 300 may adjoin to eachother and to other sport wall panels described below. For example, aseries of sport wall panels 300 may adjoin and abut against a wall,thereby providing stabilization for sport wall panels 300 without theuse of sport wall and anchoring panel 200. In addition, sport wallpanels 300 include anchoring mechanisms such as parallel top and bottomend recesses 250 for accepting rigid posts and may include anchor platesfor anchoring to concrete surfaces, for example.

FIGS. 4A-F depict front, back, first and second side and top and bottomviews of a sport wall panel 400 that is 101″ long, 42″ tall, and 8″wide, which may be used in combination with sport wall panels 200 and300 described above. Sport wall panel 400 includes male knobs and endwall recesses for connecting with other sport wall panels. However, thelower male knob is coupled to a protrusion having an angled top surface,as opposed to the planar top surface of protrusion 145 in FIGS. 2A and2C. When the protrusion has such a configuration, end wall cutout may beconfigured with a complementary shape, e.g., the end wall cutoutdepicted FIG. 4B.

Sport wall panel 400 further includes a series of kissoffs 410, wherethe front side of the panel connects to the back side of the panel.Kissoffs may be staggered to provide additional strength to sport wallpanel 400. In FIG. 4, 50 3″×⅜″ kissoffs are staggered throughout thepanel to provide additional panel strength. In addition, sport wallpanel 400 includes a kick plate 415 along the length of the front wall,which may have a thickness of about ½″, or between ¼″ to 1″.

FIGS. 5A-F depict front, back, first and second side and top and bottomviews of a curved sport wall panel 500 that includes male knobs and endwall recesses for connecting with other sport wall panels. Itsdimensions may be similar to those of sport wall panel 500, except thatthe front and back walls are curved to form a curve having between a 16′to 20′ radius when multiple panels 500 are coupled end-to-end. However,panel 500 may be configured so that assembled panels 500 form a largeror smaller radius curve, e.g., a curve having a 2′ to 30′ radius. In oneexample, the curved sport wall panel 500 has a length of 94¼″. Inanother example, the curved sport wall panel may have a length between24″ and 125″ and a height between 24″ and 48″. In addition, the curvedsport wall panel 500 may be configured with various curvatures. Forexample, the radius of the curved sport wall 500 may be configuredsmaller than a typical ice rink curved sport wall panel so that a closedsport wall system may still be assembled when an indoor arena is sizedsmaller than a traditional hockey rink.

FIGS. 6A-F depict front, back, first and second side and top and bottomviews of a sport wall gate panel 600 having a top length of 101″, abottom length of 96″, a width of 8″ and a height of 42″ that includesmale knobs and end wall recesses for connecting with other sport wallpanels. In FIGS. 6A-C, an example gate opening is shown as having aheight of 33.5″ and a width of 36″. However, as with the other sportpanels described above, sport wall gate panel 600 and its gate openingmay have a variety of dimensions. In addition, the sport wall gate panel600 may be configured so that it can accommodate ice hockey gatehardware, e.g., latches and hinges, in order to hold a gate (not shown).In particular implementations, a gate may be attached to sport wall gatepanel 600 so that it is a left-swing or a right-swing gate. The sportwall gate panel 600 may further include an 8″ threshold/stepover.Providing a sport wall gate panel 600 may enable players to easily enterand exit an enclosed sport wall system.

FIGS. 9A-D depict a back perspective, front perspective, top and frontview of 30 degree sport wall panel 900. FIGS. 10A-D depict a first andsecond side, top and perspective view of 90 degree sport wall panel1000. Each of sport wall panel 900 and 1000 may be used in addition toor as an alternative to sport wall panels 200-600, and may providecorner regions for an enclosed sport wall system.

FIGS. 11A-B depict a first and perspective view of a female adapterpanel 1100, and FIGS. 11C-D depict a first and perspective view of maleadapter panel 1110 for use with an enclosed sport wall system. Theadapter panels may be arranged in the sport wall system when it isconfigured to include additional partitioned sections, e.g., a bencharea or a penalty box. The adapter panels include crescent-shapedcoupling end 1120 and upper and lower recesses 1130 (FIGS. 11A-B) ormale knobs 140 (FIGS. 11C-D). In use, adapter panels 1100, 1110 arecoupled to the back of a sport wall panel by inserting coupling end 1120into, for example, sport wall cutout 270 (see FIGS. 2A and 3A), and onceinserted, a pipe, e.g., steel or PVC pipe, may be inserted through topend recess 250, upper and lower coupling ends 1120, and bottom endrecess 250, in order to secure adapter panel 1100, 1110 to the sportwall panel. Depending which end of a sport wall panel is to be coupledto the adapter determines whether the female adapter panel 1100 or maleadapter panel 1110 is employed. By providing the adapter panel on theback side of the sport wall panel, various enclosures may be constructedusing the above-described sport wall panels. For example, two adapterpanels may be coupled to the sport wall enclosure system and spacedapart by 10′ to 15′, and a series of sport wall panels, e.g., sport wall200-600 and/or 900-1110, may be coupled to the adapter panels and toeach other to form an enclosure having a square, rectangular,semi-circular, semi-hexagonal, or any suitable enclosure shape. In afurther example, adapter panels may be coupled to the sport wallenclosure system in order to form multiple sporting enclosures, e.g.,two enclosed sport wall systems 100 sharing a common wall, e.g., the160′ or 86′ wall.

In use, the various sport wall panels described above, e.g., sport walls200 to 600 and 900-1110, may be used alone or in combination to form anenclosed sport wall system. From FIGS. 2A-C, 3A-C, 4D-E, 5D-E, 6B-E,9A-D, 10A-D, 11A-D and 12, it can be seen that the various panels200-600 and 900-1100 may be interconnected using male knobs and panelrecesses. Although sport wall and anchoring panel 200, with its rigidflange 210, may be used to anchor and stabilize the enclosed sport wallsystem, other anchoring mechanisms may also be used. For example, topviews of the panels 400-600, e.g., FIGS. 4C, 5C, and 6C, depict four topend wall recesses for accepting rigid posts, and the bottom views ofpanels 400-600, e.g., FIGS. 4F, 5F, and 6F, depict four bottom endrecesses, parallel to the top end wall recesses, that allow rigid poststo extend through the bottom end and into the ground.

It should be understood that any of the aforementioned panels mayinclude a flange for providing support and anchoring to the enclosedsystem. However, it is contemplated that a number of the 2′ panels,e.g., 6, 12, 24 or 36, may be configured with a flange for providinganchoring and support. In addition, other anchoring and supportmechanisms may also be employed, such as those described above inrelation to FIGS. 2A-C. It will be understood that depending on the sizeof the enclosed sport wall system, the number and type of anchoring andsupport mechanisms used in the enclosed sport wall configuration mayvary.

Although the above sport wall panels have been described as having apair of male knobs on one end wall and a pair of end wall recesses on anopposite end wall, alternate configurations are also contemplated. Forexample, some sport wall panels may include a pair of male knobs on bothend walls, while other sport wall panels may include a pair of end wallrecesses on both end walls. In another configuration, one male knob andone end wall recess is provided on each panel. Alternatively, three ormore male knobs and a corresponding or differing number of end wallrecesses may be provided for each panel. In yet another configuration,male knobs may extend towards the top of the sport wall panel and endwall recesses may face towards the bottom of the sport wall panel. Inanother configuration, male knobs may be adjustable so that they facethe bottom of the panel in one position and the top of the panel inanother position. This may be accomplished by providing a male knob thatis slidable along its flange and lockable into a desired position. Sucha configuration may be useful with reversible panels, described below.

In addition, sport wall panels are contemplated as having alternateconfigurations from those described above. In one embodiment, the frontand back side of the sport wall panel may both have surfaces suitablefor an interior of a sport wall enclosure system, allowing the panels tobe reversible. In a particular example, one side of the sport wall panelmay have a continuously smooth surface, while the opposite side may havea smooth surface with a kick plate along its length. In such aconfiguration the end wall cutouts may be cut into the end wall portionof the sport wall panel without interrupting the surface of the front orback side, and the protrusions with male knobs may extend from the sideof the panel in a manner that corresponds to the end wall cutouts ofother sport wall panels.

In another alternate configuration, sport wall panels may have astraight portion along its length and a curved portion along anotherportion of its length. In a further configuration, a single sport wallpanel may be configured at an angle, e.g., 45, 60, or 90-degree angle,so that it serves as a corner sport wall panel, thus allowing all or aportion of the enclosure space to resemble an octagon, hexagon, squareor rectangle. Accordingly, angled sport wall panels provide the sportwall system with enclosure shape flexibility. In a further example, anenclosure may be D shaped, e.g., with two 90-degree corners at one endand a curvature of 180-degrees at the opposite end. In another example,90-degree corners and 90-degree arcs may alternate.

Some of the embodiments provide one or more advantages over otherdasherboard systems because, unlike traditional dasherboard systems, thepermanently affixed flange may have any desirable width and height. Thisis in contrast to prior systems where the dimensions of support legs areconstrained by the storage area in the dasherboard panel into which theyare required to fit. Further, unlike traditional dasherboard systems,the present invention can be easily moved and anchored and re-anchoreddue to the present invention's use of a stabilizing and anchoring flangeand of upper and lower male knobs and upper and lower recessed areas oneach panel. The panel may be easily moved because the stabilizing andanchoring flange does not need to be anchored into the ground to providesupport to the sport wall system. In addition, the interlockingmechanisms allows one panel to adjoin another panel by dropping upperand lower male knobs from one panel into a recessed area on an adjoiningpanel to hold the panels together. In addition, because the male knobscan be dropped into the recessed areas, or vice versa, no tooling isnecessary. Further, because the panels are interlocking, connectingdowels are unnecessary, thereby removing the chance of loss or breakage.The interlocking components of the interlocking mechanism, in addition,are hidden attachments due to the male knobs being accepted into endwall recesses disposed in end wall cutouts, thus allowing theinterlocking components to be constructed of various materials, i.e.,the same material or a different material than the visible portions ofthe assembled panel.

From the above description and drawings, it will be understood by thoseof ordinary skill in the art that the particular embodiments shown anddescribed are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in theart will recognize that the present invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from its spirit or essentialcharacteristics. References to details of particular embodiments are notintended to limit the scope of the invention.

1-21. (canceled)
 22. An anchoring panel for a sport wall systemcomprising: a panel and a stabilizing flange integrally joined to thepanel; wherein the panel comprises: a front side and a back side joininga top side and a bottom side; a first end wall and a second end walljoining the front side and back side, wherein each of said first andsecond end walls comprise interlocking elements for interlocking with afirst or second end of another panel, said interlocking elementscomprising a male knob and an end wall recess, the male knob extendingtowards the bottom side of the panel and adapted to be insertable intoan end wall recess of the another panel in the sport wall system, theend wall recess of the panel defined by an opening in a cutout in thepanel, the cutout defined by recesses in the end wall and the back sideand terminates prior to reaching each of the front side and the top sideof the panel; wherein the stabilizing flange extends at a right anglefrom a middle portion of the back side, the stabilizing flangecomprising a discrete hollow interior separate from the panel andadapted to receive stabilizing material via an opening defined by astabilizing flange; and wherein when the anchoring panel and the anotherpanel are connected to form the sport wall system, one of the end wallsof the anchoring panel is in abutting contact with one of the end wallsof the another panel.
 23. The anchoring panel of claim 22, wherein thestabilizing flange is wedge-shaped.
 24. The anchoring panel of claim 22,wherein a bottom side of the flange is arranged on a same plane as theanchoring panel bottom side.
 25. The anchoring panel of claim 22,wherein: the front side of the anchoring panel is relatively flat andprovides a sporting wall surface configured to withstand contact as aresult of sports activity; and when the anchoring panel and the anotherpanel are connected, the front side of the anchoring panel and a frontside of the another panel form a continuously smooth surface having onlyslight interruptions at the terminal ends of each panel.
 26. Theanchoring panel of claim 25, further comprising a fill opening cover forcovering access to the discrete hollow interior.
 27. The anchoring panelof claim 22, wherein at least one protrusion extends from said first orsecond end wall, the protrusion accommodating a first end of a secondmale knob.
 28. The anchoring panel of claim 27, wherein the top sidecomprises a stepped surface having a depth corresponding to a height ofthe at least one protrusion.
 29. The anchoring panel of claim 28,wherein the stepped surface having the depth further comprises a hollowrecess adapted to receive the second male knob from the another first orsecond end of the another panel.
 30. The anchoring panel of claim 22,wherein the panel comprises a hollow space between the front and backwall.
 31. A sport wall system comprising: a plurality of adjacentlyarranged panels forming an enclosed sporting area, each of the pluralityof panels comprising: a front side and a back side joining a top sideand a bottom side; a first end wall and a second end wall joining thefront side and back side, wherein each of said first and second endwalls comprise interlocking elements for interlocking with another ofthe plurality of panels, said first or second end wall interlockingelements comprising a male knob and the other end wall interlockingelement comprising an end wall recess, the male knob extending towardsthe bottom side of the panel and adapted to be insertable into an endwall recess of the another panel in the sport wall system, the end wallrecess of the panel defined by an opening in a cutout in the panel, thecutout defined by recesses in the end wall and the back side andterminates prior to reaching each of the front side and the top side ofthe panel; wherein when the plurality of panels are connected, end wallsof the plurality of panels are in abutting contact with end walls of theadjacently arranged panels.
 32. The sport wall system of claim 31,wherein the front side is relatively flat and provides a sporting wallsurface configured to withstand contact as a result of sports activity;and wherein when the plurality of panels are connected, the front sideof one of the plurality of panels and the front side of another of theplurality of panels form a continuously smooth surface having onlyslight interruptions at the terminal ends of each panel.
 33. The sportwall system of claim 31, wherein one or more of the plurality of panelscomprises a hollow space between the front and back wall.
 34. The sportwall system of claim 31, wherein one or more of the plurality of panelscomprises a panel gate.
 35. The sport wall system of claim 31, whereinone or more of the plurality of panels comprises a curved panel.
 36. Thesport wall system of claim 31, wherein one or more of the plurality ofpanels comprises a kick plate along a length of the front wall.
 37. Thesport wall system of claim 36, wherein a plurality of kissoffs couple aninterior of the front wall to an interior of the back wall.
 38. Thesport wall system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of panels areconstructed of polyethylene.
 39. The sport wall system of claim 31,wherein at least one protrusion extends from the first or second endwall, the protrusion accommodating a first end of a second male knob.40. The sport wall system of claim 39, wherein the top side defining astepped surface having a depth corresponding to a height of the at leastone protrusion.
 41. The sport wall system of claim 40, the top side atthe stepped surface further defining a hollow recess adapted to receivethe second male knob from the another first or second end of another ofthe plurality of panels.